Tag: New Haven International Film Festival

The main character, Isamu, moves from Japan to the United States with his divorced father and paternal grandmother. Isamu is an intelligent guy, but he’s left completely alone to face the process of cultural integration. His new classmates don’t show any patience with him and even his teacher, who should support him, is totally unsympathetic. So Isamu decides to drop out of school and withdraws himself to his bedroom, clashing with the concerns and the anger of his father.

I found “American Hikikomori” technically accurate, charming in shots and in music. The short film covers some of the main issues related to Hikikomori, such as the absence of the father, the difficulty in relating with classmates and teachers, and the hypersensitivity that is often found in guys who decide to isolate themselves.

The finale forces the viewer to reflect on the paradoxical condition of Hikikomori, the more they try to get away from the others and the more they become dependent on them. This reflection can be extended to the entire human existence, because basically we are all alone and, at the same time, inextricably linked.

A big “ありがとうございました!” to Marco Crepaldi for his wonderful review via his blog Hikikomori ItaliaAND for volunteering his time to translate our film’s subtitles into the Italian language.

I am absolutely humbled, flattered, and grateful. Our first batch of sales via Vimeo have actually been in Italy! To me that speaks volumes about how the Hikikomori phenomenon is no longer isolated to Japan.

If you would like to contribute in the effort of translating our film into another language OR simply learn more about our film or the filmmakers, you can contact us at: